Md. Code Regs. 10.46.04.04 - Licensure and Contact Hour Requirements
A. Time Frame.
(1) Licensure Time Frame.
(a) The Board shall stagger the terms of
licenses.
(b) Before July 1, 2016,
the Board shall renew the licenses of licensees originally licensed in years
ending in odd numbers for a 1-year term and the licenses of licensees
originally licensed in years ending with even numbers for a 2-year
term.
(c) Beginning July 1, 2016, a
license is valid for a 2-year term and expires as follows:
(i) Licensees originally licensed in
even-numbered years are issued a license that expires on June 30 of
even-numbered years; and
(ii)
Licensees originally licensed in odd-numbered years are issued a license that
expires on June 30 of odd-numbered years.
(2) Continuing Competency Time Frame.
Continuing competency requirements shall be completed within the applicable
licensure time frame.
(3) The
licensee may not carry over contact hours from one continuing competency time
frame to another without written consent from the Board.
B. Requirements Regarding Contact Hours.
(1) The occupational therapist or
occupational therapy assistant shall certify a minimum of 24 contact hours of
competency activities obtained within the 2-year period preceding the
application for licensure, reactivation, or reinstatement.
(2) The 24 contact hours referred to in
§B(1) of this regulation shall consist of:
(a) A minimum of 16 contact hours related to
occupational therapy principles and procedures; and
(b) A maximum of 8 contact hours through
occupational therapy role-related activities.
(3) The occupational therapist or
occupational therapy assistant shall provide the necessary documentation to the
Board upon request.
C.
Exceptions.
(1) Maintenance of Current
Certification with the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy
(NBCOT).
(a) The Board recognizes the
maintenance of current NBCOT certification as fulfilling the requirements of
§B(1) and (2) of this regulation.
(b) Documentation. The licensee shall provide
verification of maintenance of current NBCOT certification.
(2) Licensed Less Than 1 Year. An
occupational therapist or occupational therapist assistant who has had a
license less than 1 year before renewal is exempt from continuing competency
requirements for the first renewal period.
(3) Requesting Licensure with 3 or More Years
Lapse in Practice.
(a) When an applicant
applies for licensure, renewal, reactivation, or reinstatement, and meets all
requirements for licensure, renewal, reactivation, or reinstatement, but has
not graduated from an accredited occupational therapy program or practiced
occupational therapy within the past 3 years or more, the Board shall require
verification of the applicant's efforts toward maintaining and updating
occupational therapy clinical competency.
(b) If an individual has been out of practice
for between 3 and 8 years, the individual shall:
(i) Complete a Board-approved
self-assessment;
(ii) Complete a
Board-approved professional development plan;
(iii) Attend a minimum of 24 contact hours
related to occupational therapy principles and procedures within the 24 months
preceding application for licensure, renewal, reactivation, or
reinstatement;
(iv) Provide
verification of a minimum of 30 hours of observation of service delivery,
receipt of mentoring, or a combination of both with an actively licensed
occupational therapist within the 24 months preceding application for
licensure, renewal, reactivation, or reinstatement; and
(v) Document completion of established goals
and activities in occupational therapy with an actively licensed occupational
therapist within the 24 months preceding application for licensure renewal,
reactivation, or reinstatement.
(c) If an individual has been out of practice
for longer than 8 years, the individual shall:
(i) Complete the requirements in
§C(2)(b) of this regulation; and
(ii) Provide verification of 6 additional
contact hours related to occupational therapy principles and
procedures.
(4) Before the deadline to complete
continuing competency, a licensee may request an extension to the specified
time frame for completing continuing competency requirements by submitting:
(a) A letter of request;
(b) Documentation substantiating the basis of
the request, for example, medical documentation; and
(c) A plan for completing the
requirement.
Notes
Regulations.04 adopted effective October 2, 2000 (27:19 Md. R. 1726)
Regulation .04 amended effective February 21, 2011 (38:4 Md. R. 264)
Regulation .04C amended effective 40:10 Md. R. 917, eff.
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.